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Kevin Keyes barely knew Bobby Orr, the hockey god of his youth, when he pulled into Orr's driveway on a midsummer day, believing he was welcome.
Keyes remembers "jumping out of my skin'' with excitement as he led his four children to Orr's door. He knocked. No one answered.
His children knocked. No answer.
What happened next may not have struck Keyes as exceptional had he known about the innumerable acts of kindness Orr has quietly committed since he arrived in Boston 47 years ago as a peach-fuzzed prodigy on skates.
No one had told Keyes that Orr once turned his home into a hospice for the final months of a dying friend's life.
Keyes never knew about Orr's singular effort to save a former Bruins teammate who was wasting away from drugs and drink.
Or that, for decades, Orr has privately counseled and comforted the sick and dying, the disabled and disenfranchised, the poor and grieving.
He is 65 now and still considered by many the greatest hockey player who ever lived, an indelible revelation on ice. During his 12 years in the NHL from 1966-78, he twice led the Bruins to Stanley Cup titles, in 1970 and 1972, and accumulated nearly every honor the NHL grants, including early entry to the Hall of Fame.
But if the true measure of character is found in the deeds done when no one is looking, then Orr has forged a transcendent legacy in the decades since he first wielded a wooden hockey stick on Causeway Street.
His effortless speed, power, and scoring touch, unrivaled in the history of NHL defensemen, revolutionized the sport he loves and turned New England into a hub of hockey fanatics.
His work changing lives is much less known, for a simple reason: He won't talk about it and loathes anyone else talking about it. The idea of receiving credit — or worse, appearing to seek credit — for doing what a good person does repulses Bobby Orr. This article, which touches on some of those quiet acts of kindness was, in a real sense, written against his wishes.
"I don't do things to get ink,'' he said in an interview last week. "I just sneak along and do my thing and meet wonderful people, some people I've never met, new friends.''
Few dare cross him
He is old enough now for Medicare, his boyish face wrinkling, his chestnut hair graying, his mangled knees remade with titanium, and he has not played professional hockey since 1978, seven years before current Bruins star Patrice Bergeron drew his first breath.
But "Number 4, Bobby Orr,'' as he was known generations ago by children who ate from Bobby Orr lunch boxes and skated in Bobby Orr gear on dozens of new rinks that opened amid Orr Fever, reigns as one of the most admired athletes in North America both for his transformative hockey career and personal grace.
"No one does superstar like Bobby Orr,'' said Derek Sanderson, a former Bruins teammate who credits Orr with rescuing him from a potentially deadly addiction to cocaine, Quaaludes, and alcohol.
Orr is no saint, of course. He can be tough, stubborn, sometimes loyal to a fault, and can hold grudges for years. "He has had a temper all his life,'' said Harry Sinden, his friend and former coach.
For decades, Orr has controlled his public image so tenaciously that few have dared cross him, or intrude on his treasured privacy.
"I know some of the incredible things Bobby has done for people, but he would hit me over the head if I ever mentioned them,'' said Nate Greenberg, a former Bruins public relations chief who has been Orr's friend for 40 years.
A prominent research physician has never forgotten Orr's anger. In 1976, Dr. Murray Feingold asked the hockey legend to visit a gravely ill boy at a Boston hospital. Orr agreed on the condition the visit remain private.
The encounter went well until Orr departed and was engulfed by reporters.
" 'Oh my God, Bobby, I had nothing to do with this,' '' Feingold recalled saying.
Seething, Orr glared at the doctor.
"Bobby was visibly upset, mainly at me,'' said Feingold, who later learned the boy's mother alerted the media.
Orr divulges almost nothing about his acts of charity in his autobiography, "Orr: My Story,'' due out Oct. 15. He wrote the book, a copy of which the Globe received in advance, as if he were coaching both his sport and society, delivering lessons in honor and responsibility while he examines hockey at its best and worst.
He said he is most disturbed about what he considers the corroding culture in youth sports.
"Some coaches act as if the mortgage were at stake if their Pee Wee team doesn't win a game, which is outrageous,'' Orr said. "We've got to do a better job with our kids. Teach good values, teach the fundamentals.''
His door is open
Orr and Kevin Keyes had met months earlier at a Florida golf course. Orr had learned then that 6-year-old Kevin Keyes Jr., who loved playing hockey, was suffering from a rare disorder that left him legally blind, all but ending his days on skates.
The legend invited Keyes and his kids to lunch at his Cape Cod home, which brought them to his door that day.
But where was he? For all Keyes knew, Orr had forgotten him.
He led his children to a side door. They knocked. No one answered.
"Gods don't answer letters," John Updike once wrote of Ted Williams, who refused to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd after he hit a home run in his final at-bat in 1960. That was also, as it happened, the year a Bruins scout first spotted the 12-year-old Orr.
As Keyes stood at Orr's door, the silence hurt. He knocked again.
When his restless children began rummaging through Orr's garage, Keyes barked, "OK, that's it,'' and ordered them back to the family Suburban, figuring paradise was lost.
Then a god answered, Orr bursting from the side door. Keyes recalled Orr explaining that he had been stretching in the backyard when he heard a commotion out front.
"Everybody huddle up,'' Orr told the children. "We're going to have a good time, but I want you to promise me one thing first.''
The kids drew closer, and Orr said in a hush, "Promise me you won't tell your mother that your father brought you a day early. You were supposed to be here tomorrow.''
For the next hour, Orr sat with the children on his living room floor, playing sock hockey and sharing stories. He made them lunch, gave them personalized keepsakes, and hugged each one, none more heartily than Kevin Jr., who perched in Orr's arms, beaming in his Bruins sweater, the Bobby Orr edition.
"The greatest hockey player in the world, knowing he would get no recognition for it, took an interest in a bricklayer's son who needed a ray of sunshine in his life,'' said Keyes, a Dorchester native who grew up in Scituate and settled in Florida. "He is the nicest, most generous, most sincere person my children will ever meet. He changed our lives.''
In the sports world, there are many charitable superstars and many others for whom philanthropy is a masquerade, an exercise in image-buffing. Then there is Orr, who has created a model for giving back that embraces the power of true connection, of responding when the need is greatest.
When social studies teacher Christa McAuliffe died aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, Orr learned that members of her family were Bruins fans and he quietly traveled to Concord, N.H., to visit.
When former Bruin Ace Bailey died aboard a hijacked airliner that struck the World Trade Center in New York during the 2001 terrorist attacks, Orr turned up the next morning at the door of Bailey's widow, Katherine.
"Bobby will always have a place in my heart,'' she said.
When Orr learned last year that James Gordon, a hockey player at Hingham High School, was fighting testicular cancer, he called Gordon's mother, Terry, and asked to visit.
Orr chatted for several hours with James, his family, and friends, spending much of the time holding Terry's daughter, Jenna, who has Down syndrome.
Orr posed for pictures with everyone in the house. He later mailed them autographed photos with personal messages, having remembered the name of each family member and friend as if he had known them for years.
Terry Gordon, still in awe months later, said, "Who does that?''
Spotted at age 12
The man who does that grew up under a big sky near the shores of Lake Huron's Georgian Bay, 150 miles north of Toronto. One of five children born to a munitions factory worker and a waitress, Orr lived snugly — bunk beds for the kids — next to railroad tracks where the Canadian Pacific clattered by like clockwork.
In the summer, he crossed the tracks and clambered down to the mouth of the Seguin River and cast his fishing line. In the winter, he tossed his skates over his shoulder and headed upstream to a swath of ice his father, Doug, had cleared.
Parry Sound was the cradle of Orr's character. In a little city where strangers were few, he discovered the values that would drive him.
"First, he became a great teammate,'' said Dave Silk, a member of the 1980 US Olympic "Miracle on Ice'' gold medal team who was inspired by Orr as a youth and counseled by him as an adult. "Then he traded up and became a great humanitarian.''
The Bruins were so tantalized by Orr at 12 that they subsidized his youth hockey program, hoping to sway his parents when he was old enough to turn pro.
As a 14-year-old eighth-grader, he became Bruins property, and for one brutal Canadian winter he commuted 300 miles round-trip to play for Boston's junior team, the Oshawa Generals.
Orr lived the next three school years with host families in Oshawa, attending classes by day, dominating the junior league at night.
"I remember two things about Bobby,'' said Jim Cuthbertson, Orr's science teacher in Oshawa. "He always arrived with his homework done, even after long hockey trips. And he shared a lab desk with a real jerk.''
Orr never clashed with his disruptive deskmate, Cuthbertson said. Instead, he served as "a controlling influence, illustrating by example how the kid should act.''
Orr did the same after he joined the Bruins in 1966. At 18, he was Boston's most hotly anticipated rookie since Williams in 1939, yet he seemed unfazed by the hype. He took pains to project himself as just another Bruin.
No, Orr told a Sports Illustrated photographer, he would not skate onto the ice ahead of his teammates for a picture.
Arva Orr raised her son to resist vanity. When a newspaper writer called Parry Sound after Orr gained international fame, the writer informed Arva he would like to interview her son.
"Which one?'' she said. "I have three, you know.''
A valuable influence
The Big Bad Bruins of Orr's era were a wild bunch, epitomized by the carousing Sanderson. Orr partied with his teammates — they were regulars at the Branding Iron steak house he owned at Charles River Park — and sometimes joined in their antics.
It was Orr who helped mastermind the "kidnapping'' of his injured teammate, Phil Esposito, from Massachusetts General Hospital after the Bruins were eliminated from the 1973 playoffs. Orr and his sidekicks spirited Esposito out of the hospital on a gurney and wheeled him to the Branding Iron for the postgame party.
Most nights, however, Orr limited himself to two drinks — he later gave up drinking — and he often policed his teammates.
"A lot of us didn't know how to behave at that age,'' Sanderson said. "It was easy to get stupid. Bobby felt very strongly about how you should act. It came to him naturally, but he had to help us. He would say, 'Derek, would you shut your mouth?' "
Sinden knew better than to exploit Orr's leadership — Orr never wanted to be seen as favoring management over his teammates — but the coach valued his influence.
"He was the kind of guy who held your ego down if you had too much of one,'' Sinden said.
On the ice, Orr changed hockey like no player before or since. As a defenseman, he was responsible for preventing opponents from scoring. He mastered that, and much more, becoming the greatest scoring defenseman in NHL history.
Dubbed "Nureyev on ice'' by the late Globe columnist Ray Fitzgerald, Orr averaged a remarkable 1.4 points game during his injury-shortened career. His picture — the enduring image of him in celebratory flight after he scored the overtime goal in 1970 that clinched Boston's first Stanley Cup in 29 years — adorned homes across New England.
Kids wanted to be like Orr. They wanted to wear No. 4 and skate like Orr: slightly bow-legged, without socks, and with a single strand of black tape wrapped around their stick blades.
Many Catholics took their confirmation names from saints. As a boy in Greater Boston, Jim Craig took Orr's: James Bobby Orr Craig.
"He was my go-to guy, my idol,'' said Craig, who became the goalie of the "Miracle on Ice'' Olympic team and later played for the Bruins.
As Orr Mania swept the region, children from the inner city to the boonies flocked to new public and private ice rinks. The Boston Neighborhood Hockey League was born. Bumper sticks marked the territory: "This is Orr Country.''
The Garden sold out nightly, and in a time before cable television when channel options were few and picture reception often fuzzy, families endlessly fidgeted with their TV antennas to focus on Orr.
"You had to keep redirecting the rabbit ears because the picture would get all snowy,'' said Bobby Carpenter, who played 18 seasons in the NHL after growing up in Peabody, inspired in part by Orr. "When you got it perfect, you told everybody, 'Don't move.' ''
Bitter ending, and rebirth
But far too soon, Orr's best hockey days were behind him. He was plagued by knee injuries, and his relationship with the Bruins ended bitterly in 1976 when his agent, Alan Eagleson, orchestrated his departure from Boston.
Orr never wanted to leave, he has often said, but he was betrayed by one of his bedrock traits: loyalty.
"I trusted [Eagleson] like a brother,'' he told the Toronto Star in 1990.
Orr granted Eagleson complete authority over his business interests, including contract negotiations, and Eagleson steered him to the Chicago Blackhawks by withholding details of Boston's far more lucrative contract offer, which included an 18 percent ownership stake in the franchise. The estimated value of that share today is well over $50 million.
When the deal was done, Eagleson told the Globe that Orr was "up in Parry Sound dying of a broken heart.''
But it was Eagleson who ultimately broke Orr's heart — and his bank account. Only after Orr's bad knees forced him to retire in 1978 at age 30 — he played only 26 games for the Blackhawks — did he learn how deeply Eagleson had betrayed him.
He sought and won a settlement. But still, despite the damage Eagleson had wrought, Orr never publicly expressed the depths of his rage against his former agent.
"Bobby always wanted justice, of course,'' said Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk, who took Orr's 1970 Stanley Cup ring and Bruins jersey aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1996 and carried his 1972 Stanley Cup ring to the International Space Station in 2009. "But he was never going to put down Alan Eagleson to elevate himself.''
Thirsk became part of Orr's second life, when he rebuilt his wealth and found more time to give back to friends and strangers.
First, he rescued Sanderson. As the captain for life of his former Boston teammates — "he's like the godfather of the whole group,'' Sinden said — Orr discovered Sanderson strung out on drugs and booze in the late 1970s and escorted him to detox.
Sanderson relapsed more than a dozen times, and Orr invariably picked him up and paid for every treatment. He also helped Sanderson start over as a financial adviser.
"He helped save me,'' said Sanderson, who has been sober since 1980. "Bobby knew it wasn't going to be an easy process, and he never gave up. He was always there.''
Orr also was there for Feingold in the mid-1980s, when he joined other luminaries on Martha's Vineyard for the John Havlicek Celebrity Fishing Tournament to benefit Feingold's Genesis Foundation for children with birth defects.
Robin Young, then a popular television news personality, sat near Orr on a flight from Boston that encountered mechanical problems and extreme turbulence. The two shared an emotional moment — she remembers seeing tears in Orr's eyes — during "a white-knuckle time'' when the flight to Vineyard Haven seemed imperiled.
They shared another uncommon episode a night later. As Young left her Edgartown hotel for a walk, she said, Orr appeared unexpectedly and joined her.
"I'm thinking, 'Oh, God, what's going on here?' " she recalled. "I always thought of Bobby as a gentleman, happily married, the golden boy. I'm thinking, 'Please don't disappoint me.' "
They turned down a lane, which led to a boat ramp. As they paused, the water shimmering before them, Young said, she feared Orr would make a pass at her.
Several uncomfortable moments followed before Young finally said, "Should we go back?'' Orr said, "OK.''
When they reached the hotel, Young recalled, Orr said, "Listen, Robin, you're a young, lovely woman. Please tell me you're not going to walk alone by yourself again after dark. Good night.' ''
Young, now the cohost of NPR's "Here and Now,'' said the experience taught her a lesson.
"Bobby really is the golden boy,'' she said.
'That's what Bobby does'
The year Sanderson got sober, the nation watched on television as Craig won Olympic gold and stood wrapped in an American flag on the ice at Lake Placid, searching the crowd for his father. His mother had died three years earlier.
When Craig's father died unexpectedly in 1988, Orr rushed in.
"It was a very tough time, and Bobby was there because that's what Bobby does,'' Craig said. "He has never had to put on a [Superman] cape. All he has had to do is be No. 4.''
Orr later rescued Silk, Craig's Olympic teammate, from a post-hockey tailspin. Silk played 11 seasons in the NHL and Europe before he retired in 1991.
"Sometimes the biggest decision you have to make as a professional hockey player is whether you want red or white clam sauce on your linguine,'' Silk said. "Then you're on your own, and you don't get the corner table anymore, and nobody is calling you, and you can pick up some bad habits.''
A mutual friend directed Silk to Orr.
"It was like a papal visit,'' Silk recalled. "You get an audience with Robert Gordon [Orr] and you almost forget why you're there.
"I went into the meeting feeling awfully bleak, but I came out with a renewed sense of hope and motivation and the will to succeed. I was very lucky to be put in front of Bobby.''
Silk has since enjoyed a long career as a financial executive.
Many others have received Orr's comfort. In 1995, he took the extraordinary step of opening his home to former Bruins trainer John "Frosty" Forristall, who had been diagnosed with end-stage brain cancer.
When Orr arrived in Boston as a teenager, he was the toast of the town. He could have lived almost anywhere, with almost anyone. But he roomed for several years with Forristall, whose only claim to fame had been playing goalie for the North Quincy High School hockey team.
Forristall helped Orr rehab from numerous knee surgeries, and after Orr scored the winning goal in the 1970 title game, Forristall bronzed his skates as a gift. The skates are displayed in the Orr exhibit at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. They are accompanied by a bronze plaque, inscribed by Forristall, that reads, "May you be as proud and happy always as we were on May 10, 1970, when you unlaced these skates.''
When Forristall fell terminally ill, he was single and short of money. Orr and his wife, Peggy, who lived in Weston at the time, took him in, and Orr spent several months helping to care for Forristall until he died at 51.
"Bobby knows how to spell the word 'humble,' " Bill Forristall, Frosty's brother, said. "He was very good to my brother.''
Five months after Forristall died, Travis Roy, a freshman at Boston University, crashed into the boards in his first collegiate hockey game and was paralyzed from the neck down. He had never met Orr, but when he awoke a month later from a coma, he found him at his bedside.
"I remember Bobby sitting there and softly saying to me that everything was going to be OK,'' Roy said. "There was something about hearing it from him that was different from hearing it from everybody else. You just kind of believed him. You felt like he knew.''
Orr returned often to Roy's hospital room and has since helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for Roy's foundation to help spinal cord patients.
Still a beloved figure
One of the wonders of Orr's second life is that he has nimbly balanced his charitable work and his role as a husband, father, and grandfather with a 22-year career representing professional hockey players. He launched his second career in 1991 under the late agent Bob Woolf, and since 2002 he has owned the Orr Hockey Group, trying to help dozens of NHL players and prospects avoid the financial pain he suffered because of Eagleson.
Orr no longer appears regularly in Boston television commercials. After lending his name to scores of companies and products, from banks to pinball machines, he has focused in recent years on major endorsement deals with MasterCard and General Motors.
He also formed a memorabilia sales company so that he might profit from the fact that, 37 years after his last game in Boston, he remains a hugely bankable star. His former game jerseys typically sell for more than $100,000.
His promotional work sometimes leads him to Parry Sound, where the roads into town are marked with Bruins No. 4 insignia and where a billboard welcomes visitors to the "Home of Bobby Orr.''
The hockey memories there are ubiquitous, but so is his spirit — that other, less-famous side of the boy the community knew before the world knew.
When Orr's childhood convenience store, Hillcrest Grocery, burned down last year, he helped jump-start a rebuilding campaign by donating an autographed picture of "The Goal'' for an auction.
"Bobby is beloved in Parry Sound,'' said the store's co-owner, Sue Bye.
Kids still want to be like him. At the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame in Parry Sound, 16-year-old Nicolo Bonfanti, a summer exchange student from Milan, Italy, spent $125 in July on a replica Orr Bruins sweater.
A night later, 8-year-old Ethan Marshall, who wears No. 4 on his youth hockey team, waited hours during the Hall's annual induction ceremony with his 5-year-old brother, Lucas, to meet the man they idolize.
In Marlborough, Mass., 7-year-old Gabe Elie falls asleep at night with Orr's picture on his wall. Elie, a youth hockey player, often tries to replicate Orr's signature rink-long rush to the goal.
"Some kids at school talk about Justin Bieber,'' said his father, Joe Elie. "Gabe wants to talk about Bobby Orr.''
Most of Orr's young admirers have learned about him from their parents and grandparents. Orr is so ingrained in the North American experience that he is celebrated in song ("Fireworks'' by Tragically Hip), literature ("Dena Blumenthal + Bobby Orr Forever''), public sculpture (his statue outside the Garden), education (the Bobby Orr Public School in Oshawa), and the restaurant world (The Four's chain in Greater Boston), among other tributes.
Through it all, Orr has maintained his quiet dignity, splitting his time between his Cape home and his winter place in Florida.
But to generations who have lived in Orr Country, where he sleeps hardly matters. They seem to know where he will be if they need him.
"The best way to put it is, you know Bobby will be there,'' Sanderson said. "You're never alone.''
Bob Hohler can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Brad Whitford Reveals Aerosmith Approached Sammy Hagar About Replacing Steven Tyler
How close did the other members of Aerosmith actually come to replacing Steven Tyler (under a new band name) when they found out the singer was going to be spending part of his time judging 'American Idol?' Close enough to call Sammy Hagar, apparently.
In last night's (Sept. 1) episode of 'That Metal Show,' Brad Whitford reveals that the other four members briefly considered changing their name and working with another singer. "We had to talk about it, we're just ready to work all the time," he explains. So they thought, "Well, maybe we could put a different name on it and bring somebody else in. It's impossible to fill Steven's shoes, that's not gonna happen."
The guitarist went on to reveal that they "spoke to a couple of people that were semi-interested." When pressed for names by host Eddie Trunk, Whitford mentioned a logical candidate: "Well, we spoke to Sammy, and he was really excited about it. I love Sammy, and I was like, 'Oh man this would be so cool!' (But) it all started to come back together on its own (with Tyler), like it was going to and should have."
In retrospect, Whitford thinks the somewhat compressed schedule Aerosmith was forced to work at on their upcoming album 'Music from Another Dimension' may have been a blessing in disguise. "We've had this band for some 40 years, and we've been used to doing things at our own pace. 'American Idol' forced us to be much more focused and much more disciplined… and I think it actually helped us out in terms of a work ethic."

subset: commoncrawl


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The big acorn from the Forestland jewellery collection is now available in a more sparkling and chic version. It is textured and has a hole on one side.
The Sparkling Necklace series of the Forestland jewellery collection is created for you to shine. The Sparkling Necklaces are a new suggestion for your special occasions during the day or night. The innovative designs of the pendants add comfort and positiveness to your looks! You may match a pendant and a chain of a different hue and create a unique piece of jewellery.
The acorn and the chain are made of bronze and are pink gold plated.
Total chain length: about 85 cm
Acorn height: about 2.1 cm
Acorn diameter: about 1.6 cm
Avoid contact with water, perfumes, alcohol and oils. We suggest you to keep the necklace in its box or in your own jewellery box when you are not wearing it.
Each piece of jewellery from Agapis Jewellery is handmade and unique. This is why your order may have some slight differences from the photo. If you wish to order a plate that is out of stock, you may send us an e-mail and we will take care of it. This may take 3-4 days.


text: Redding Series C 2-Die Reloading Set includes full length sizer/decapper die and Seater/Crimper Die. The full length die sets for bottleneck cases contain two dies. The full length (FL) resizing die contains a decapping rod assembly with a neck expander (size button). The seating die (ST) includes bullet guide, built-in crimp ring and the proper seating plug.


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Jurors have two pictures of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales to consider as they weigh whether he should ever have a shot at freedom: The indulgent dad who let his son soak his chocolate chip pancakes in ranch dressing, and the mass murderer who inexplicably slaughtered children, women and men in a mud-walled compound in Afghanistan.
A brother of the soldier testified at Bales' sentencing hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Seattle, on Wednesday, portraying him as a patriotic American, high school class president and football team captain.
"There's no better father that I've seen," William Bales, 55, said of his younger brother. "If you brought the kids in here today, they'd run right to him."
Sgt. Bales, 39, pleaded guilty in June in a deal to avoid the death penalty, acknowledging that he slaughtered 16 people, mostly women and children, during unsanctioned, solo, pre-dawn raids on two villages March 11, 2012. A jury is deciding whether he should be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, or without it.
The picture painted by the first defense witness, William Bales, was largely incongruous with that portrayed by the soldier's admissions as well as by the testimony of nine Afghan villagers — victims and their relatives — about the horror Bales wrought.
Defense attorneys hope the contrast will convince jurors that Bales simply snapped after four combat deployments and deserves leniency.
William Bales repeatedly referred to his sibling — once the captain of his high school football team and class president in Norwood, Ohio, where they grew up — as "my baby brother" and "Bobby."
He described how as a teenager his brother cared for a developmentally disabled neighborhood boy, assisting him with basic life functions. The neighbor's father also testified about Bales' helpfulness.
"I don't know too many 16-, 17-year-old boys who could do that," William Bales said.
He also described how the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, changed "good-time Bobby" and how he soon thereafter enlisted in the Army.
Prosecutors noted, however, that Bales was also facing a fraud lawsuit when he enlisted. An arbitrator eventually imposed a $1.5 million judgment against Bales and his former stockbroking company.
One of Bale's lawyers, John Henry Browne, said after court Wednesday that his client will speak to the jury at the end of the case, and he will offer an apology for his crimes.
On Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, nine Afghan villagers who traveled about 7,000 miles to testify at the hearing in traditional garb spoke of their lives since the attacks.
Haji Mohammad Wazir lost 11 family members, including his mother, wife and six of his seven children. He told the six-member jury that the attacks destroyed what had been a happy life. He was in another village with his youngest son, now 5-year-old Habib Shah, during the attack.
"If someone loses one child, you can imagine how devastated their life would be," said Wazir, who received $550,000 in condolence payments from the U.S. government, out of $980,000 paid in all. His son, now 5, "misses everyone. He hasn't forgotten any of them."
"I've gone through very hard times," he added. "If anybody speaks to me about the incident ... I feel the same, like it's happening right now."
Wazir and a cousin, Khamal Adin, didn't get to say everything they wanted to in court. Each asked for permission to speak after the prosecutors' questions were finished, but the judge said it wasn't allowed.
Bales' attorneys, who have said the soldier suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, didn't cross-examine any of the Afghan witnesses.
Two military doctors testified Wednesday, describing the treatment of Bales' victims, including a young girl who had been shot in the head and spent three months undergoing surgeries and rehabilitation at a naval hospital in San Diego, relearning how to walk.
Bales, a father of two from Lake Tapps, Wash., was serving his fourth combat deployment when he left the outpost at Camp Belambay in the pre-dawn darkness. He first attacked one village, returning to Belambay only when he realized he was low on ammunition, said prosecutor Lt. Col. Jay Morse.
Bales then left to attack another village.
The massacre prompted such angry protests that the U.S. temporarily halted combat operations, and it was three weeks before Army investigators could reach the crime scene.
At the time of the killings, Bales had been under heavy personal, professional and financial stress, Morse said. He had complained to other soldiers that his wife was fat and unattractive and said he'd divorce her except that her father had money. He had stopped paying the mortgage on one of his houses and he was upset that he had not been promoted.
During his plea hearing in June, Bales couldn't explain to a judge why he committed the killings. "There's not a good reason in this world for why I did the horrible things I did," he said.
If he is sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, Bales would be eligible in 20 years, but there's no guarantee he would receive it. He will receive life with parole unless at least five of the six jurors say otherwise.
Thursday's testimony is expected to focus on Bales' mental health.


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Participating Organization(s) |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD) |
Funding Opportunity Title |
Health Promotion for Children With Physical Disabilities Through Physical Activity and Diet: Developing An Evidence Base (R21) |
Activity Code |
R21 Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award |
Announcement Type |
New |
Related Notices
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number |
Companion FOA |
PAR-11-288, R01 Research Project Grant |
Catalog of Federal Domestics Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) |
93.865, 93.837, 93.846, 93.361 |
FOA Purpose |
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) applications that will improve our understanding of how patterns of physical activity and dietary choice affect the health and fitness of children with physical disabilities. Proposed research should account for the functional limitations of children with disabilities and their nutritional needs, as well as the physiological, psychosocial, and environmental factors that play a role in determining the health of this population. |
Posted Date |
August 2, 2011 |
Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) |
September 16, 2011 |
Letter of Intent Due Date |
30 days prior to the applicable receipt date |
Application Due Date(s) |
Standard dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. |
AIDS Application Due Date(s) |
Standard dates apply, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization |
Scientific Merit Review |
Standard dates apply |
Advisory Council Review |
Standard dates apply |
Earliest Start Date(s) |
Standard dates apply |
Expiration Date |
September 8, 2014 |
Due Dates for E.O. 12372 |
Not Applicable |
Required Application Instructions
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21) applications that will improve our understanding of how patterns of physical activity and dietary choice affect the health and fitness of children with physical disabilities.
Proposed research should account for the functional limitations of children with disabilities and their nutritional needs, as well as the physiological, psychosocial, and environmental factors that play a role in determining the health of this population.
Over 2.6 million children aged five to fifteen in the United States are living with physical and/or intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, nearly half of children with disabilities are estimated to be at an unhealthy weight (either over or under). Many of these children also have multiple chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure, fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, and joint pain. As the nation works to improve the health of all its children, the specialized needs of this population present unique challenges to incorporating both physical activity and dietary needs into a healthy lifestyle.
Children with disabilities have functional limitations that specifically impact their ability to exercise (e.g., fatigue, spasticity, pain), maintain health and nutrition (e.g. gastrointestinal problems), and participate in key aspects of psychosocial development (e.g. low self esteem, preoccupation with weight). Often, this is compounded by co-morbidities and environmental barriers that further limit their access to resources and opportunities. In addition, lack of physical activity can lead to negative spirals that result in secondary conditions (e.g. obesity, pressure sores, Type 2 diabetes), and further functional decline, isolation, and reduced health. These issues offer new research opportunities, especially in identifying effective strategies for improving the health of children with disabilities.
A review of the literature on physical activity and diet of children with disabilities, in conjunction with an NIH-sponsored workshop, highlighted the urgent need for more research to support the health of children with disabilities. Key issues include: dynamic measurement of energy expenditure within the context of physical activities; effects of exercise on metabolism, specifically on diet and drug interactions; possible risks, including impact on cardiovascular, pulmonary, and musculoskeletal systems; specific protocols for different developmental stages and disability groups; the genetics of disability and its role in health outcomes for children with disabilities; and the role of the parent or caregiver on supporting healthy lifestyles with increased physical activity and healthy dietary choices.
The goal of this program announcement is to better understand the special needs of children with physical disabilities, in order to develop integrated clinical and behavioral strategies to promote physical activity, reduce secondary conditions, foster healthy dietary choices, and improve health status and social participation. Of particular concern are the issues involved with promoting exercise and diet in children with disabilities from specific racial/ethnic populations and/or economically disadvantaged families.
The focus of this program announcement is on children with physical disabilities, but this may include comorbidities that involve cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. Thus, relevant conditions may include, but are not limited to, conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury, and osteogenesis imperfecta.
In general, exploratory/developmental applications should address clear research questions, recruit an adequate sample size for the purposes of the study, and include good phenotyping and inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Relevant research topics could include, but are not limited, to studies in the following areas:
Funding Instrument |
Grant |
Application Types Allowed |
New The OER Glossary and the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide provide details on these application types. |
Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards |
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations, and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. |
Award Budget |
Direct costs are limited to $275,000 over a two-year project period. No more than $200,000 may be requested in any single year... |
Award Project Period |
The maximum project period is two years.. |
NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.
Higher Education Institutions:
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
For profit Organizations
Foreign (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are allowed.
Applicant organizations must complete the following registrations
as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply
for or receive an award. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following
All Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD/PIs) must
also work with their institutional officials to register with the eRA Commons
or ensure their existing eRA Commons account is affiliated with the eRA Commons
account of the applicant organization.
All registrations must be completed by the application due date. Applicant
organizations are strongly encouraged to start the registration process at
least four (4) weeks prior to the application due date.
Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources
necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director/Principal
Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an
application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic
groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply
for NIH support.
For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple
Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key
Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.
This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.
NIH will not accept any application in response to this FOA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial peer review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. NIH will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. Resubmission applications may be submitted, according to the NIH Policy on Resubmission Applications from the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Applicants must download the SF424 (R&R) application package associated with this funding opportunity using the Apply for Grant Electronically button in this FOA or following the directions provided at Grants.gov.
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
Descriptive title of proposed research
Name, address, and telephone number of the PD(s)/PI(s)
Names of other key personnel
Participating institutions
Number and title of this funding opportunity
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Ralph Nitkin, Ph.D.
Director, Biological Sciences and Career Development Program
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD)
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 2A03 MSC 7510
Bethesda, MS 20892-7510
Phone: 301-402-4206
Email: email@example.com
The forms package associated with this FOA includes all applicable components, mandatory and optional. Please note that some components marked optional in the application package are required for application submission. Follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide to ensure you complete all appropriate optional components.
All page limitations described in the SF424 Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:
Resource Sharing Plan
Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans (Data Sharing Plan, Sharing Model Organisms, and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS)) as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.:
Do not use the appendix to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Foreign (non-US) organizations must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign organizations described throughout the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates. Applicants are encouraged to submit in advance of the deadline to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission.
Organizations must submit applications via Grants.gov, the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH's electronic system for grants administration.
Applicants are responsible for viewing their application in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.
Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.
For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit Applying Electronically.
All PD/PIs must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential
field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF 424(R&R) Application
Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI
Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an
electronic application to NIH.
The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the
application is the same number used in the organization's profile in the eRA
Commons and for the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Additional
information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
See more
tips for avoiding common errors.
Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness by the Center for Scientific Review, NIH. Applications that are incomplete will not be reviewed.
Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in NOT-OD-10-115.
Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. As part of the NIH mission, all applications submitted to the NIH in support of biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
The R21 exploratory/developmental grant supports investigation of novel scientific ideas or new model systems, tools, or technologies that have the potential for significant impact on biomedical or biobehavioral research. An R21 grant application need not have extensive background material or preliminary information. Accordingly, reviewers will focus their evaluation on the conceptual framework, the level of innovation, and the potential to significantly advance our knowledge or understanding. Appropriate justification for the proposed work can be provided through literature citations, data from other sources, or, when available, from investigator-generated data. Preliminary data are not required for R21 applications; however, they may be included if available.
Reviewers will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed).
Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.
Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved? How will successful completion of the aims change the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Are the PD/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers well suited to the project? If Early Stage Investigators or New Investigators, or in the early stages of independent careers, do they have appropriate experience and training? If established, have they demonstrated an ongoing record of accomplishments that have advanced their field(s)? If the project is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational structure appropriate for the project?
Does the application challenge and seek to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms by utilizing novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions? Are the concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions novel to one field of research or novel in a broad sense? Is a refinement, improvement, or new application of theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions proposed?
Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses
well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project?
Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success
presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the
strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be
If the project involves clinical research, are the plans for 1) protection of
human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members
of both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms
of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?
Will the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Are the institutional support, equipment and other physical resources available to the investigators adequate for the project proposed? Will the project benefit from unique features of the scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements?
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact/priority score, but will not give separate scores for these items.
Protections for Human Subjects
For research that involves human subjects but does
not involve one of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR
Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human
subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their
participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to
subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the
subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data
and safety monitoring for clinical trials.
For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or
more of the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46,
the committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human
subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional
information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Human
Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Children
When the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as well as the inclusion of children. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Human Subjects Protection and Inclusion Guidelines.
Vertebrate Animals
The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed; 3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort, distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.
Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.
For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.
Not Applicable,
For Revisions, the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not recommended for approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.
As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact/priority score.
Applications from Foreign Organizations
Reviewers will assess whether the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.
Select Agent Research
Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).
Resource Sharing Plans
Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: 1) Data Sharing Plan; 2) Sharing Model Organisms; and 3) Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
Budget and Period of Support
Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.
Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical
merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), in accordance with NIH peer
review policy and procedures, using the stated review
criteria. Review assignments will be shown in the eRA Commons.
As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:
Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:
After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons.
Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH
will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as
described in the NIH Grants
Policy Statement.
A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided
to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by
the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via
email to the grantee business official.
Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection
of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any
costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These
costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.
Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to the DUNS,
CCR Registration, and Transparency Act requirements as noted on the Award
Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.
All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants.
Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award
Not Applicable
When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Non-Competing Continuation Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
A final progress report, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.
We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity
and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.
Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and
submission, downloading or navigating forms)
Contact Center Phone: 800-518-4726
Email: email@example.com
GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions and
process, finding NIH grant resources)
Telephone 301-710-0267
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
eRA Commons Help Desk (Questions regarding eRA Commons
registration, tracking application status, post submission issues)
Phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)
Email: email@example.com
Ralph Nitkin, Ph.D.
Director, Biological Sciences and Career Development Program
National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD)
Phone: 301-402-4206
Email: email@example.com
Abby G. Ershow, Sc.D., FAHA
Director, Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Research Program
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Phone: 301-435-0550
Email email@example.com
Charlotte A. Pratt, PhD, RD, FAHA
Director, Prevention and Population Sciences Program
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Phone: (301) 435-0382
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Amanda Taylor Boyce, Ph.D.
Program Director, Muscle Development and Physiology
Division of Musculoskeletal Diseases
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal &
Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Phone: 301-594-5585
William P. Tonkins Jr, PhD
Division of Skin and Rheumatic Diseases
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Phone: 301-594-5032
E-mail: email@example.com
Linda S. Weglicki, PhD, RN, MSN
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Nursing Research NINR)
Phone: 301-594-6908
Email: email@example.com
Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).
Bryan S. Clark, MBA
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6975
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Mr. Ron Wertz
Office of Grants Management
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-594-2870
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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text:
Every spring, City utility crews flush half of the fire hydrants in the city. If crews are working in your neighborhood, you may experience some water discoloration, but this does not affect the safety of the water. It's best to avoid doing laundry until the discoloration has disappeared.
Show All Answers
Call the Utilities Division. Someone is on call 24 hours a day for water and sewer emergencies. If you are experiencing a sewer backup in your home, call us first. You may be able to avoid an unnecessary service call and charge from a drain company if the problem is in the main line.
During regular business hours of 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., you may call Public Works at 763-755-2880.
At any other time call 911 and Utilities Division personnel will be dispatched to your home to analyze the problem. Also, call the City at 763-755-2880 if you are having your sewer line cleaned. This will help our crews be prepared for any tree roots or other debris that may clog the City's main lines.
Water meters are maintained by the City. Plumbing valves, fittings and the service line to the curb stop are the responsibility of the property owner. Clear the area around your water meter to keep it accessible for ease of maintenance and reading.
If your water meter is leaking or it is not working properly, please call Utility Billing at 763-767-6438 to schedule an appointment.
Curb stops which isolate a service line from the main line in the street should be located and "at grade" for emergency shutoffs. City Code prohibits the use of electric welders for thawing frozen water lines.
Update October 20, 2021 - The 2021 Water Emergency, which had been extended due to drought conditions, expired October 19, 2021. There are no sprinkling restrictions for the remainder of the season.
Yes, an odd/even sprinkling ban is typically in effect every year from June 1 - August 31. In 2021, the sprinkling ban was extended past August 31 until further notice, due to drought conditions and high water use. This means houses with an odd number address water on odd numbered days and even numbered addresses water on even numbered days. If necessary during periods of drought, additional restrictions may be imposed to ensure sufficient water supply for firefighting and every day necessities. It is best to water your lawn during the early morning hours. You should also set your rain sensor to detect when it's raining so that your sprinkler system does not go off. Exceptions are made for new sod, seed and shrubs planted within the last 30 days.
Hydrants are flushed beginning in the spring to help remove iron and manganese sediment and to ensure each hydrant is operating properly.
If you have no water check to see if the water valves are open at the water meter by turning them counter-clockwise. If you have done this and there still is no water, call Public Works at 763-755-2880.
If you have low water pressure first make sure both valves before and after the water meter are completely open. Next, check the outside faucet. If the water pressure is good, then the problem is inside your home. If you are unable to determine the cause, call Public Works at 763-755-2880.
Don't dig until you call Gopher State One Call at 651-454-0002 (also known as 811) to mark all underground installations on your property. It is a requirement by law. A 48-hour notice is required before doing any work.
Hardness: 16-18 grains PH Level: 7 Iron Content: 0-0.3 ppm


text:
[Joe Budden]
I might need you to answer back (Top)
Bad enough that the mic give me feedback
I ain't gotta come home and see that
(Top) Let me talk to you for a minute
[Lil' Mo]
I wanna know..
I, wanna know.. Know, know know
I believe I know
You'll be my baby, baby
[Joe Budden + (Lil' Mo)]
Let me talk to 'em
First off, all the questionin, I thought we was above that
We got some time and act like you wish to jerk that
C'mon don't tell me that we already endin
And fuck I need to cheat on you for, I'm already winnin
It's like (I wanna know) if I got a exit them tensions
Callin her names, tryin to make her feel like less of a woman
But nah, picture I shady, won't lie and say I don't lie
Once or twice maybe, forever you my lady my
You gorgeous but, it's more than just your hips that talk
It's {??}, but want more
It's how we laugh, you know shall we not
My better half slash your eyes the vibe we got, it's like
(I wanna know) If I'm real in a deal
And then, she wanna know if I feel how she feel
And real when I'm dealin, please believe boo
Won't deceive you - it's not just a want, I need you
[Chorus: Lil' Mo + (Joe Budden)]
I wanna know if you'll always be my baby
(You my girl, my wiz, my life)
I need to know he'll always be me baby
(You my heart, my all, my wife)
I wanna know if you'll always be my baby
(You my girl, my wiz, my life)
(Bad enough that the mic give me feedback)
(I ain't gotta come home and see that)
[Joe Budden + (Lil' Mo)]
It's like (I wanna know) if I'm at some other broad's
Laughin in bed, she got it all mapped in her head
Ma, I'm all about, you and me
But you sloooooooowly losin me when you keep accusin me
I know why you be askin where I came from
Nothin wrong with arguin but we havin the same ones
Either you gon' ride out or you gon' spoil it
Either you gon' take a shit or get up off of the toilet
It's like (I wanna know) if I be lyin to her
Or if I think these other birds finer than her, so
-- So when your man's on the road, he don't see you
I don't want the s** to be the only thing that keeps you
I give you my all, just holla at me if you want more
You tired of hearin 'bout me talkin 'bout a jump off
-- You my girl, my wiz, my life
Ma we can't go wrong ma, listen to the horns ma
[Joe Budden + (Lil' Mo)]
It's like (I wanna know) if my career catches fire
Out of all the woman in the world, why her?
Hold up now you gettin mad at yourself
Just take a look in the mirror, be proud of yourself
How many times I gotta tell ya, boo you all that I got
How many times I gotta tell ya, be secure in your spot
I understand so I can't knock it, but I'm your man stop it
Checkin my 2-way, and goin through my pants pockets
It's no need, you my girl, my wiz, my life
Look ma you - my heart, my all, my wife; and you pissed
Cause you know other chicks would love to smash your man
I tell 'em I'm aight, I take pride in that I'm your man
(My friends keep tellin me you ain't shit)
I done been through this before baby, same shit
Long as we know what we got, we can carry on boo
We can't go wrong ma, listen to the horns ma
[Lil' Mo]
My girl, your wiz, your life
Your heart, your soul, your wife
I will be everything to you, oh baby
I wanna know, if you'll always be my baby..


text:
Every House Democrat but one has co-sponsored a bill requiring schools to allow male athletes who identify as transgender girls to compete on female sports teams.
Democrats' Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to make "sexual orientation and gender identity" protected characteristics under federal anti-discrimination law. Among other things, the bill would force public schools to expand female athletic teams to include biological males who identify as transgender girls.
Sarah Warbelow, director of the left-wing Human Rights Campaign, praised the bill's impact on high school sports in written testimony submitted to a House subcommittee on Tuesday.
"Opponents of equality in athletics for transgender athletes have argued that girls who are transgender have unfair physiological advantages over cisgender girls and as a result, will dominate women's competitive sports," Warbelow wrote, calling it not "rooted in fact" that biologically male athletes will outperform their female counterparts.
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York, made a similar argument during an April 2 hearing his committee held on the legislation. (RELATED: Biological Male Is Top-Ranked NCAA Track Star)
"Many states have sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination laws, and all of them still have women's sports. Arguments about transgender athletes participating in sports in accordance with their gender identity having competitive advantages have not been borne out," Nadler said in his opening statement.
In Connecticut, one of the states to which Nadler was referring, two male runners have dominated girls' high school track. A female competitor called the male runners' advantage "demoralizing."
Julia Beck, the head of a self-described radical feminist organization, testified against the bill.
The Democrats' bill would lead to a male invasion of female spaces, including on the athletic field, Beck said in her April 2 testimony. "Men will dominate female sports," she warned.
Of the 235 Democrats in the House, 234 have co-sponsored the legislation. (That's not counting Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico's non-voting representatives, who also signed on as co-sponsors.)
Reps. John Katko of New York and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania are the only House Republicans to co-sponsor the bill.
Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski, the only pro-life Democrat left in the House, is also the only one in his party not co-sponsoring the Equality Act.
Follow Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson
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- Adrianne Lenker
- Aldous Harding
- Anjimile
- Atlas Sound
- Bartees Strange
- Becky and the Birds
- Big Thief
- Bing & Ruth
- Buck Meek
- cumgirl8
- Daughter
- Deerhunter
- Dry Cleaning
- Erika de Casier
- Ex:Re
- Future Islands
- Helado Negro
- Holly Herndon
- Jenny Hval
- Lucinda Chua
- Maria Somerville
- Scott Walker
- The Breeders
- the GOLDEN DREGS
- The National
- Tkay Maidza
- Tune-Yards
- U.S. Girls
- Velvet Negroni
- All Artists
Purity Ring's Corin Roddick has reworked their song 'Belispeak' to feature a ferocious new verse by Danny Brown. Brown, who first saw Purity Ring on their summer tour, expressed interest in wanting to work with the band via Twitter and the two then exchanged ideas through email. Brown reimagined 'Belispeak's' fairy-tale creepiness as an evocative snapshot of his childhood in Detroit, while Roddick reworked the production into a maximalist banger.
Download an MP3 of the track here or stream below.
Purity Ring will also be mounting their second full tour in support of their recently released 4AD debut Shrines in January with Young Magic as support. The Halifax/Montreal-based duo is comprised of Corin Roddick and Megan James. They make lullabies for the club, drawing equally from airy 90s R&B, lush dream pop, and the powerful, bone-rattling immediacy of modern hip hop. Megan's remarkable voice is at once both ecstatic and ethereal, soaring wistfully above Corin's intricately chopped drum programming, trembling sub-bass, and skewed vocal samples.
January 2013
10th - Le National, Montreal, QC
11th - Webster Hall, New York, NY
14th - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
15th - Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
17th - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
18th - The Social, Orlando, FL
19th - Orpheum, Tampa, FL
21st - Maison, New Orleans, LA
22nd - The Mohawk, Austin, TX
23rd - Granada Theatre, Dallas, TX
24th - Hi-Tone, Memphis, TN
25th - Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
26th - Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
28th - Jefferson Theatre, Charlottesville, VA
29th - Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
30th - Paradise, Boston, MA
1st - Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON
all w/ Young Magic


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What better way to get into the game than to create a card Giving Thanks? And if you're not celebrating Thanksgiving, these is always a need for Thank You cards…!
Stamps: (My Heart Sings, A Lot to Say, Thankful Turkey) Neat & Tangled
Paper: (Brown Card Stock) Bazzill; (Perfect Match Card Stock - Vintage Cream) Papetrey Ink; (Fitzgeral AddOn Kit: (pattern paper: Blink of Life, Studio Calico)) Studio Calico
Ink: (Creative Color - Hazel) Mama Elephant; (Jenni Bowlin - No. 5 Chicken Feed, No. 9 Spice Tin) Ranger
Embellishments: (Fitzgeral AddOn Kit: (Wood Veneer Butterflies) Studio Calico, (Blue Enamel Dots) Freckled Fawn) Studio Calico
I found some pretty stellar pattern paper out of some Studio Calico kits lying out on my desk and stamped the speech bubble from A Lot to Say. I also stamped the bird in Spice Tin ink on some beautiful blue and green pattern paper from the kit, and decided to color him with my ink pads. Amazing what a little bit of water and ink does, right?
I also added a bit of orange color to the patter paper to make the foreground pop more.
That's all I have for you. Go see the other girls' creations. They will surely have many inspirations for you...
Here is the reader's digest version.
- Challenge ends Dec 1, 2013, 11:59p EST; Check back for the winners
- Prize is ONE Neat & Tangled Stamp set of your choice to a random player
- Neat & Tangled stamps are not required on your entry, but we would love to see you use them. If you would like to use some Neat & Tangled products but haven't had a chance to buy any, we have a couple of freebies on the Little Tangles site. Enjoy!


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Wildes Farm is behind and to the right and Hampstead Garden City behind.
, a pub made famous by a once-popular song, "Down at the Old Bull and Bush."Photograph 1965 copyright George P. Landow. [This image may be used without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose.]
Other views of Hampstead |
Wildes Farm |
Last modified 13 January 2006


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While it may not leave you stranded, a vehicle that hesitates to start can be very concerning. There are a few reasons why your Honda S2000 may not be starting, such as a bad starter, a bad battery, bad alternator, and more.
Honda S2000 Hesitates to Start: Causes
Here are some of the most typical reasons your S2000's starter is not cranking as fast as it should be.
1. Bad Battery.
The battery is responsible for providing the voltage necessary to crank your S2000's engine over when it is not running. When the battery begins to give out, it will provide enough voltage for a start, but not enough for a quick start. You can almost FEEL it struggling to turn the engine when this happens.
As the battery ages its ability to provide what's called "cranking amps "diminishes. It is most noticeable when it is cold outside.
The battery light is a good indication that you were going down the right path with your diagnosis, but it is not guaranteed that the battery is good if it is not on.
2. Corroded Battery Post
A corroded battery post can easily create a condition where your S2000 hesitates to start. It also happens to be the easiest thing to check on this list.
With that in mind take a look real quick and see if there's any corrosion or battery acid on the battery cables or post. If there is, you'll need to scrape it off. You can get a wire brush at Walmart, or you can purchase a dedicated battery post cleaner. Make sure to wear some protection over your eyes. Battery acid is corrosive and stings.
A bad battery cable can also have the same exact affect. The way that you tell that the battery cable is bad is to check the voltage as it leaves the alternator, and check it again as it enters the battery. There's a video below that goes into all of this in great detail.
Make sure that the battery posts are tightened all the way too…..
3. Bad Alternator
A bad alternator can also cause your S2000 to hesitate when starting. If it's not charging the battery all the way, it will exist in this limbo where it's doing the job good enough but not great.
He can have an auto parts store test your alternator. Most of them have a machine that will spin it fast enough to tell what kind of voltage is coming from it. But, that involves removing the alternator from the vehicle.
You can test the alternator yourself pretty easy with a multimeter. Before you start the vehicle, hook a multimeter to the battery. Get the voltage number, now go ahead and start it and test it again. If it's under 13.0 V with the vehicle started, the alternator is probably bad.
That's a very abbreviated version of something that's explained much better in this video:
4. Bad Starter
Your S2000 may be turning over slowly due to a worn starter motor. When you turn the key, a powerful electromagnet is activated that forces the starter gear to engage. Once this happens, the starter turns the flywheel fast enough fast enough that the engine can take over.
Your vehicle's starter is really a powerful electric motor. As it wears out, I won't be able to spin fast enough anymore, and your vehicle will hesitate to start.
It is also possible that the electrical contacts going to it are damaged or corroded.
Honda S2000 Hesitates to Start When Cold
If your S2000 is hesitating to start when cold, it's usually due to the battery struggling to provide enough cold cranking amperage. Batteries have two amperage ratings. The first is cranking amps, and the second as cold cranking amperage (CCA).
When the weather is nice outside the battery is able to provide it's full cranking amperage. CCA is the number of amps that a battery can provide to the starter at 0°F for 30 seconds while maintaining 7.2 V plus. CCA is always a lower number.
Your S2000 is designed to be able to start just fine with the advertised amount of cold cranking amperage. As a battery ages its ability to provide cranking amperage diminishes. In the summer this can go unnoticed, as the number of amps is above the CCA amperage But, in the winter time it'll become a lot more obvious and a vehicle hesitate to start as the cold cranking amperage is too low.
Here's an in-depth guide to why your S2000 isn't starting when cold.
This is not a definitive list of why a Honda S2000 may hesitate to start, but it does cover all the most common reasons. Good luck!


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Communication Networks/File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to exchange and manipulate files over a TCP/IP based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server applications. FTP is also often used as an application component to automatically transfer files for program internal functions. FTP can be used with user-based password authentication or with anonymous user access.
Purpose edit
Objectives of FTP, as outlined by its RFC, are:
- To promote sharing of files (computer programs and/or data).
- To encourage indirect or implicit use of remote computers.
- To shield a user from variations in file storage systems among different hosts.
- To transfer data reliably, and efficiently.
- To grant readability to the end user.
Connection methods edit
FTP runs over the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Usually FTP servers listen on the well-known port number 21 (IANA-reserved) for incoming connections from clients. A connection to this port from the FTP client forms the control stream on which commands are passed to the FTP server and responses are collected. FTP uses out-of-band control; it opens dedicated data connections on other port numbers. The parameters for the data streams depend on the specifically requested transport mode. Data connections usually use port number 20.
In active mode, the FTP client opens a dynamic port, sends the FTP server the dynamic port number on which it is listening over the control stream and waits for a connection from the FTP server. When the FTP server initiates the data connection to the FTP client it binds the source port to port 20 on the FTP server.
In order to use active mode, the client sends a PORT command, with the IP and port as argument. The format for the IP and port is "h1,h2,h3,h4,p1,p2". Each field is a decimal representation of 8 bits of the host IP, followed by the chosen data port. For example, a client with an IP of 192.168.0.1, listening on port 49154 for the data connection will send the command "PORT 192,168,0,1,192,2". The port fields should be interpreted as p1×256 + p2 = port, or, in this example, 192×256 + 2 = 49154.
In passive mode, the FTP server opens a dynamic port, sends the FTP client the server's IP address to connect to and the port on which it is listening (a 16-bit value broken into a high and low byte, as explained above) over the control stream and waits for a connection from the FTP client. In this case, the FTP client binds the source port of the connection to a dynamic port.
To use passive mode, the client sends the PASV command to which the server would reply with something similar to "227 Entering Passive Mode (127,0,0,1,192,52)". The syntax of the IP address and port are the same as for the argument to the PORT command.
In extended passive mode, the FTP server operates exactly the same as passive mode, however it only transmits the port number (not broken into high and low bytes) and the client is to assume that it connects to the same IP address that was originally connected to.
While data is being transferred via the data stream, the control stream sits idle. This can cause problems with large data transfers through firewalls which time out sessions after lengthy periods of idleness. While the file may well be successfully transferred, the control session can be disconnected by the firewall, causing an error to be generated.
The FTP protocol supports resuming of interrupted downloads using the REST command. The client passes the number of bytes it has already received as argument to the REST command and restarts the transfer. In some commandline clients for example, there is an often-ignored but valuable command, "reget" (meaning "get again"), that will cause an interrupted "get" command to be continued, hopefully to completion, after a communications interruption.
Resuming uploads is not as easy. Although the FTP protocol supports the APPE command to append data to a file on the server, the client does not know the exact position at which a transfer got interrupted. It has to obtain the size of the file some other way, for example over a directory listing or using the SIZE command.
In ASCII mode (see below), resuming transfers can be troublesome if client and server use different end of line characters.
Data format edit
While transferring data over the network, several data representations can be used. The two most common transfer modes are:
- ASCII mode
- Binary mode: In "Binary mode", the sending machine sends each file byte for byte and as such the recipient stores the bytestream as it receives it. (The FTP standard calls this "IMAGE" or "I" mode)
In ASCII mode, any form of data that is not plain text will be corrupted. When a file is sent using an ASCII-type transfer, the individual letters, numbers, and characters are sent using their ASCII character codes. The receiving machine saves these in a text file in the appropriate format (for example, a Unix machine saves it in a Unix format, a Windows machine saves it in a Windows format). Hence if an ASCII transfer is used it can be assumed plain text is sent, which is stored by the receiving computer in its own format. Translating between text formats might entail substituting the end of line and end of file characters used on the source platform with those on the destination platform, e.g. a Windows machine receiving a file from a Unix machine will replace the line feeds with carriage return-line feed pairs. It might also involve translating characters; for example, when transferring from an IBM mainframe to a system using ASCII, EBCDIC characters used on the mainframe will be translated to their ASCII equivalents, and when transferring from the system using ASCII to the mainframe, ASCII characters will be translated to their EBCDIC equivalents.
By default, most FTP clients use ASCII mode. Some clients try to determine the required transfer-mode by inspecting the file's name or contents, or by determining whether the server is running an operating system with the same text file format.
The FTP specifications also list the following transfer modes:
- EBCDIC mode - this transfers bytes, except they are encoded in EBCDIC rather than ASCII. Thus, for example, the ASCII mode server
- Local mode - this is designed for use with systems that are word-oriented rather than byte-oriented. For example mode "L 36" can be used to transfer binary data between two 36-bit machines. In L mode, the words are packed into bytes rather than being padded. Some FTP servers accept "L 8" as being equivalent to "I".
In practice, these additional transfer modes are rarely used. They are however still used by some legacy mainframe systems.
The text (ASCII/EBCDIC) modes can also be qualified with the type of carriage control used (e.g. TELNET NVT carriage control, ASA carriage control), although that is rarely used nowadays.
Note that the terminology "mode" is technically incorrect, although commonly used by FTP clients. "MODE" in RFC 959 refers to the format of the protocol data stream (STREAM, BLOCK or COMPRESSED), as opposed to the format of the underlying file. What is commonly called "mode" is actually the "TYPE", which specifies the format of the file rather than the data stream. FTP also supports specification of the file structure ("STRU"), which can be either FILE (stream-oriented files), RECORD (record-oriented files) or PAGE (special type designed for use with TENEX). PAGE STRU is not really useful for non-TENEX systems, and RFC 1123 section 220.127.116.11 recommends that it not be implemented.
FTP return codes edit
FTP server return codes indicate their status by the digits within them. A brief explanation of various digits' meanings are given below:
- 1xx: Positive Preliminary reply. The action requested is being initiated but there will be another reply before it begins.
- 2xx: Positive Completion reply. The action requested has been completed. The client may now issue a new command.
- 3xx: Positive Intermediate reply. The command was successful, but a further command is required before the server can act upon the request.
- 4xx: Transient Negative Completion reply. The command was not successful, but the client is free to try the command again as the failure is only temporary.
- 5xx: Permanent Negative Completion reply. The command was not successful and the client should not attempt to repeat it again.
- x0x: The failure was due to a syntax error.
- x1x: This response is a reply to a request for information.
- x2x: This response is a reply relating to connection information.
- x3x: This response is a reply relating to accounting and authorization.
- x4x: Unspecified as yet
- x5x: These responses indicate the status of the Server file system vis-a-vis the requested transfer or other file system action.
Anonymous FTP edit
A host that provides an FTP service may additionally provide anonymous FTP access. Users typically login to the service with an 'anonymous' account when prompted for user name. Although users are commonly asked to send their email address in lieu of a password, little to no verification is actually performed on the supplied data.
As modern FTP clients typically hide the anonymous login process from the user, the ftp client will supply dummy data as the password (since the user's email address may not be known to the application). For example, the following ftp user agents specify the listed passwords for anonymous logins:
- Mozilla Firefox (3.0.7) —
- KDE Konqueror (3.5) —
- wget (1.10.2) —
- lftp (3.4.4) —
Commands edit
Enter ftp /? in Windows, or ftp --help in Unix, to get the command parameters.
Once connected to a server, type help to display the different possible commands.
To manipulate the files with the mouth, download a good FTP client which will do the interface (for example this Filezilla doesn't need any installation).


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:signed &optional integer-type
integer-type ::= :byte | :char | :short | :int |
:long | :long :int | :short :int
type converts between a Lisp integer and a foreign signed integer. The optional
argument specifies other kinds of signed integer types. See Table A comparison of Lisp and C signed types for a comparison between Lisp and C signed types.


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I posted my last blog entry in the wee hours of the morning and, when I woke up, I noticed that it was my 100th post and I now had 100 followers! I really really want to thank all of you who read, and post comments, on my blog. I started the blog, mostly as an experiment, and I have found I really enjoy it. Let me warn you that some personal chatter follows but, if you want, you can skip directly to the sewing bit.
There are so many benefits to blogging my sewing projects. First and foremost, I refer to my past entries all the time to remind myself how I made a particular project – especially any modifications I made, or what size I cut out, etc.
Then there are the photos. I am NOT a photogenic person. Most folks who have met me tell me I look better in person and I am mighty glad to hear it, given the atrocious pictures I take. My daughters, and particularly my youngest, tells me I am really hard to photograph because I look so stiff and... weird. It reminds me of that Friends episode when Chandler and Monica were trying to get a good engagement photo. Every time the photographer pointed the camera at Chandler, his expression became self conscious and strange, so they finally published an "engagement" photo of Monica and Joey. I can relate. It is almost impossible to find a photo of me before I started sewing because I hated photos of myself and usually was the one behind the camera.
But let me tell you about the upside of these photos. Wow, you might think you look a certain way in a mirror, even a full length mirror. But you can't really see the whole effect the way you can in a photo. All of a sudden, you can really see proportions, color, cut, etc. The photos have had a huge effect on my sewing. They have caused me to re-think my style, and what looks good on me, and have had a direct impact on what I sew. They are pretty powerful, even though I can't tell you how often I cringe when I look at them.
Finally, the biggest benefit of blogging is the community. I have met so many people and had so many great email exchanges because of my blog and my involvement in the Stitcher's Guild community. I have developed some close friendships as a result. How wonderful is that?!? I also belong to a truly wonderful sewing group, who really puts up with my foibles. Several of them read this blog and I love keeping in touch with them that way.
So, I really want to thank all of you. I know I am not as funny and adorable as The Selfish Seamstress, nor as clever and urbane as Male Pattern Boldness, and I do sometimes feel that I really need to push the bar to produce a blog worthy of anyone who might read it, so know I am grateful that you do read, and post. :)
You might know that I don't really participate in blogger awards. But I realize that those awards, in part, are a way of feeling more connected to the blogger. I try to keep my professional life and my hobby life very separate, but here are ten "facts you may not know about me", just for fun.
- By profession, I am a technical writer. I write primarily about the Java programming language. I like to think I can, at least, explain a process, or a product, in a clear manner.
- I have a degree in computer science from UC Berkeley.
- I do most of my writing, including the writing for this blog, directly in HTML. I am not a big User of Tools.
- Following my divorce, I enrolled in San Francisco State in the Masters program for Clothing and Textiles. I had a lot of undergraduate work to complete (since my original bachelors was in a very different discipline) but I had to drop out of the program about 18 months into it, because it conflicted with work. Shortly thereafter, the masters program in that department was axed. That was an extremely happy time in my life, even though I was twice the age of most of the students.
- I have been a vegetarian since the age of 17, when my mother unadvisedly said, "I wonder how long THAT will last!" when I told her. I love you mom, and rest in peace, but it has been 34 years, and counting. :) I was the healthiest (and weighed much less) for the few years I was vegan, but I have slipped off that mountain.
- I love to travel, but have done very little in the last 17 years (note: my eldest is 17), apart from a trip to Brazil 2 or 3 years ago. I once hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – a 5-day trip on foot. After that I spent two days rafting the Ollantaytambo River, which had some class four rapids. I hate roller coasters, but I love river rafting.
- I like to spell and don't really use a spellchecker. I have a friend who thinks that there is a spelling gene. You either have it or you don't. She doesn't. :)
- One of my current favorite TV shows is Drop Dead Diva. The new season begins tonight!!!
- The nickname 'Shams' came about when I copied my then-fiance's favorite underwear. It was a brand called Chams that his mother bought from Marks and Spencers in London. When they changed the style, he didn't like the new underwear as well, so I copied the older style and made him several pair. He wore them to shreds. I even mimicked the style and color of the original label, but I changed Chams to Shams.
- In real life, my first name is Sharon. But I really like my nickname Shams and will happily answer to that. :) Have you ever noticed that there are many Sewing Sharons?
And Now for the Sewing-Related Bit
There is a thread on Stitcher's Guild discussing the pattern that I blogged about last night - Vogue 8248. I posted the photos of my black and white tops and Kathryn gave me some great insight. I just love it when someone with a good eye weighs in!Kathryn pointed out that the wide "cuffs" on the white blouse were throwing off the balance of the top. For me, that was a "D'OH!" moment. I know the reason the pattern is drafted this way, however. This is a dolman style top, where the sleeve is cut as one with the front (or back). This type of sleeve doesn't have the fitting advantages of a set-in sleeve. If the cuff is very fitted, it's hard to, say, reach forward. However, this cuff is overly generous at the wrist, resulting in an unflattering line, so I took my remaining two buttons and made a pleat in each cuff. Sorry, I don't have photos, but I think you get the general idea. I didn't make it so tight that I can't slip it over the wrist.
I will try wearing the top this way and, if I find it is too restrictive for comfortable movement, I will just chop the sleeves off at the elbow. :)
Thanks so much, Kathryn!!! And if you haven't seen her blog, I Made This!, CHECK it out! She is AMAZING. I am in awe of her creativity, mixed with her facility with problem solving, and this beautiful package is encased in her truly generous spirit.